Sonya grows up in an upper middle class home with an alcoholic father. She acquires a taste for alcohol and drinks her first bottle of champagne when she is just twelve. Despite her dysfunctional family life, Sonya has the necessary tools to lead a productive life and leaves home for college. Living alone and left to her own devices, the choices she makes are not all good. Sonya is promiscuous, dating both men and women, while seemingly oblivious to any relationship she is currently in. She spends money lavishly, ventures to other countries on her own, and overindulges in alcohol and drugs. even going as far as to sell them. She brushes off everyone's warnings-telling herself she's still young and just having fun. Ultimately, Sonya realizes her choices have turned to need and threaten to ruin a relationship she values the most. Thus begins her long road to recovery. The road is unforgiving. She suffers many losses, and stumbles often only to get back up and start again. The last obstacle she faces may prove to be the most difficult. Sonya's father has always been brutally outspoken concerning her sexual preferences. In death, the final message he sends threatens to put Sonya over the edge...

New York. Winter. 1980. Behind the glitter of the disco era, the city streets run wild. In countless secret spaces, high stakes poker games fuel an underground economy flush with cocaine, champagne, and call girls. Winners are on top of the world. But no one wins forever, and when aspiring novelist and inveterate card player Danny Ferraro goes "all in"--and then some--he winds up owing the mob big money. And when you owe the mob, you pay--or else. With nowhere to run, Danny is forced to commit unspeakable acts just to stay even. Richard Vetere's gritty novel strips the gloss of the "Godfather" era and lays bare the gritty reality of the subversive blackmarket as Ferraro struggles to free himself of its grip. Vetere (The Third Miracle, The Writers Afterlife) delivers his most riveting work to date, with page-turning action and an insider's view of a hidden culture.

Sports heroes, executives, and the homeless -- cocaine permeates every inch of our society, with tragic results. Although casual use of cocaine has clearly declined, the number of daily users, in particular those using crack, continues to climb. Why do people continue to use cocaine? What is its appeal? How does it affect the body and mind? What can a person do if a family member or friend is using cocaine? In the past decade, the introduction of "crack" has increased the popularity of cocaine. Treatments have changed to adapt to this new, cheaper, more widely available drug. This Second Edition of Cocaine -- by three noted psychiatrists from Harvard University and the University of Utah -- highlights the tremendous research effort that has been mounted to discover the most effective way to help cocaine-dependent patients. It covers what cocaine is, the different methods of its use, its effects on the brain and other organs, and its psychological and social consequences for users and those around them -- both at home and in the workplace. This book also covers cocaine addiction -- how it happens, who is at risk, how to treat it, and how to find help. Cocaine includes a list of commonly asked questions about the drug and a self-test to determine if you or someone you love is dependent on cocaine.

With more than 30.000 entries The A-Z Enczclopedia on Alcohol and Substance Abuse is the most complete and comprehensive reference book in the field of Substance Abuse. A useful handbbok and working tool for drug abuse professionals. The Encyclopedia is produced in close co-operation with the ICAA, International Council on Alcohol and Addictions, since its inception in 1907 the world's leading professional non-governmental organisation working with drug-abuse related issues.

Reviews of the two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 2005: The king is dead. Long live the king! The old Partridge is not really dead; it remains the best record of British slang antedating 1945 Now, however, the preferred source for information about English slang of the past 60 years is the New Partridge. James Rettig, Booklist, American Library Association Most slang dictionaries are no better than momgrams or a rub of the brush, put together by shmegegges looking to make some moola. The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, on the other hand, is the wee babes. Ian Sansom, The Guardian The Concise New Partridge presents, for the first time, all the slang terms from the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English in a single volume. With over 60,000 entries from around the English-speaking world, the Concise gives you the language of beats, hipsters, Teddy Boys, mods and rockers, hippies, pimps, druggies, whores, punks, skinheads, ravers, surfers, Valley girls, dudes, pill-popping truck drivers, hackers, rappers and more. The Concise New Partridge is a spectacular resource infused with humour and learning its rude, its delightful, and its a prize for anyone with a love of language.

Slangs Dictionary of Unconventional English -is a recently launched book of Sakha Global Books publication to hold good command over English language. This is an excellent resource for all students who wish to learn, write and speak English language from zero level. Perfect for self-study, the series follows a guided-learning approach that gives students access to a full answer key with model answers. This book has been divided into sections and each section has been further divided into lessons. have been given, wherever necessary. Also, exercises are given at the end of every lesson for practice and solutions at the end of the book. This book has been designed to help you learn English in an easy and proper way. This is a clearly structured introductory English learning book intended to offer readers an advanced fluency in both spoken and written English. English pronunciations are given in easy way helping the readers to understand the complexities of English pronunciation. If one of those sounds familiar to you, perhaps you have found the right book. This book is essential for you to break through and not only improving your spoken skills but developing them so well regardless of your age. Armed with the proven tips, tricks, and techniques in this book, you’ll discover that you’ll be soaring to an entirely new and exciting level of learning within days. On top of that, these guidelines can be used nearly effortlessly. Proven Technique That Works You’ll discover what “Immersion” is and how it can painlessly take you to a supreme status in your studies. You’ll also learn about a related method of learning to pronounce English fearlessly. It’s called the “Shadowing.” Once you try it you’ll realize why so many people praise its effectiveness. Salient Features of the Book: • Self-Sufficient, Self-Study Book. • Detailed Explanation of English Grammar Topics. • Easy tools for Written and Spoken English. • Complete Guide to Error-free usage of English in day-to-day life. • Easy to Grasp Language for better understanding. English is not an easy language to learn. But if you are using proper methods to learn and speak, you’ll find that your next level of learning is just a click away. Learn and adopt these techniques, tips, and many more secrets revealed in this book, and your English fluency will be on a whole different level in 60 days ! Remember: Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Download Now and Start Speaking Fluent English! - Sakha Global Books

Entry includes attestations of the head word's or phrase's usage, usually in the form of a quotation. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Born into a regular Bronx family, and inspired by the likes of Hendrix, Led Zepellin, and the Kinks, Ace Frehley first picked up his brother's guitar at the age of 12. He had already performed in a number of bands when, in January 1973, he auditioned for an ad that read: "Guitarist wanted with flash and balls." Within a week he was invited to join - the band was KISS. Frehley explains how the band developed their style in the early days, making their own clothes, wearing make-up and platform shoes. Ace himself even designed the band's double lightning bolt logo. Before long his persona "the Spaceman" was born and the familiar KISS look established - almost overnight they left behind 1,500 seater theatres in the Midwest and were playing sold-out stadiums around the world. Life in KISS was a whirlwind of accidents, overdoses and excess. Ace partied with the likes of John Belushi and Nic Nolte and enjoyed the seemingly endless supply of fringe benefits that came from being in one of the most successful bands in the history of rock 'n' roll. But soon problems with substance abuse would lead to his leaving the band in 1982, before returning for a second tenure in 1996. Ace in the Hole is the story of KISS but much more than that - it's the story of a kid from the Bronx who found purpose and salvation through music and rose to the top. It's the story of a guy who lived life to the fullest and almost forfeited his life as a result. And ultimately it's a survival story - Ace is alive and kicking, still making music and influencing a new generation of guitarists.

Examines the history of cocaine from its first medical uses to the worldwide issues it presents today.